Baidu, a prominent tech giant in China, has announced a significant partnership with Lenovo, a leading global technology company, to incorporate its advanced generative AI technology, particularly the Ernie large language model (LLM), into Lenovo smartphones. This collaboration mirrors similar agreements Baidu has struck with other smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung and Honor, reflecting a strategic initiative to broaden its footprint in the mobile market.
Lenovo, renowned for its diverse product portfolio encompassing personal computers and tablets, will integrate Baidu’s Ernie model into its branded smartphones, aiming to capitalize on the increasing prevalence of AI-driven functionalities in mobile devices. This trend gained momentum following the success of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, in late 2022.
While Google’s Pixel phones currently lead the market in AI capabilities, supported by robust cloud-based AI services, reports suggest that Apple is actively exploring the integration of generative AI models into its iPhones. The collaboration between Baidu and Lenovo signifies a concerted effort to compete in this domain and deliver innovative AI-powered features such as chatbots and real-time translation directly on smartphones.
According to projections by research firm Canalys, an estimated 5% of smartphones shipped globally in 2024, totaling around 60 million devices, will feature AI capabilities. This underscores the escalating demand for AI-integrated smartphones and the potential for such features to become indispensable for consumers in the foreseeable future.
In China, where AI services from U.S. firms face accessibility challenges, the market is dominated by domestic players like Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, offering a plethora of over 200 AI models. Baidu CEO Robin Li has underscored the significance of practical AI applications and has leveraged partnerships with smartphone manufacturers to enhance Baidu’s LLM, thereby fostering robust competition with U.S. counterparts.
In addition to Lenovo, other prominent Chinese phone brands including Vivo, Xiaomi, and Huawei are also investing in developing their on-device AI models, although detailed disclosures regarding these efforts are limited.
Industry analysts perceive the integration of Baidu’s LLM into smartphones as a strategic maneuver, positioning AI-powered features as potential essential functionalities in the future, notwithstanding existing constraints. These collaborations not only benefit Baidu but also afford access to extensive data sets, potentially bolstering the capabilities of Baidu’s AI models and reinforcing its competitive stance in the global smartphone arena.
